Education and Development |

ABSTRACT:

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is differentfrom traditional Environmental Education (EE) as it involves a shift fromknowledge to action. Besides ecological/environmental issues, ESD looks intoeconomic, social and political aspects with the objective of improving thequality of life of people living on the planet. Considering education as aninput for environmental sustainability, UNO in its general assembly resolution57/254 during December 2002 has proclaimed the knowledge and understanding of450 secondary school teachers of Orissa using SD knowledge inventory showedthat both pre as well as in-service teachers had moderate level of knowledge onSD. In general teachers were more deficient in conceptual knowledge issues likeindicators of economic development, productivity, eco-technology, carryingcapacity, biodegradation, global climate change, conventional agriculturalpractices, biological pest control, indigenous technology etc. than factualinformations. There was increase in their understanding of SD issues withincrease in teaching experience. Lack of adequate knowledge and understandingand its implications for revision of teacher preparation curriculum and organizationof community linked in-service teacher training programme in order to empowerteachers to understand and transact the SD concepts effectively throughactivities, projects, community work etc.